Love, With No Return Address
by sugarRay babY
Summary: Post Grave. Spike had his soul restored as well as his humanity. After months of remorse & guilt, he gets himself run over & wakes up in a hospital with no memory of ever being a vampire. Can he start a new life as human? B/S, Plz R/R !!!
1. Frustration

  
Disclaimer. I don't own any characters, I just play wit them. :)  
A.N. Okay so this starts off a couple months after the season finale, Spike had his soul restored & has been turned into what he used to be (human), gets run over, loses his memory & so on.  
I actually started writing this like over a month ago & just got to it today.   
Hope you all like it, please review. If I get some feedback I'll continue writing, & I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. tanKs.   
  
  
  
Ch 1. Frustration   
  
  
I can feel them looking at me.  
But they're problably not. Why would they? They must have better things to do that to stare at me. I'm just a broken-down, lonely shell of a ...  
thing.  
Yeah, thing, I guess... what can I call myself? Just something, hot & sweaty from wearing this leather jacket, which for some reason can't seem to take off... I've gotten thinner, my hair a mess with the roots all grown out. I'm a wreck goin' nowhere.  
Well maybe somewhere. I have managed to get myself back in California. Maybe I can even pull it together to go back to Sunnydale. It's not too far... maybe? Ugh. Doubtful, very doubtful...   
  
I always made fun of Angel, but now it's like... I can give him so much credit for at least attempting to continue some sort of "normal" life, while dealing with his remorse. But me, I'm so pitiful, I can't even manage to pick myself off the streets; I look like a bum. It's just all the memories of all the people I've harmed, the lives I've ruined or ended, they all just plague my mind, leaving me restless, despondent and alone. And her…  
The one person I ever truly loved, and even then when she lowered herself to be with me I still hurt her. Now what do I've got? Nothing… cept' for this damn soul. Oh and a bottle of vodka, which I will be drinking down quite rapidly. _ *Belch*_  
  
Hours later, after consuming the whole bottle, Spike is left lying unconscious on the side of a street. Slowly the sunrise begins to arrive. Rays of daylight glow down on his grubby face, and nothing happens. No burning, no fire, no self-destruction, nothing. Simply the warm feeling of the sunbeam.  
  
  
```````````````  
Meanwhile…   
  
"I'm going out on a date tonight." says Dawn.  
  
"What?", exclaims Buffy.  
  
"Yeah. Um… he's picking me at in a few minutes."  
  
"Wait a minute, before I let you go off with some teenage horndog…"  
  
"He's not a horndog." Dawn says defensively.  
  
"…I'm gonna need some info."  
  
Dawn sighs, "Alright."  
  
"Where are you going?", asks Buffy.  
  
"Gia Caruso's party. She's been planning for weeks; it's gonna be huge & EVERYONE will be there."  
  
"Okay, now your date? What's his name?"  
  
"Sunny."  
  
"His name is Sunny?"  
  
"Yeah, I think his mom was a hippie."  
  
"How old is he?"  
  
"He's 18."  
  
"And your 16? I don't like that…"  
  
"Come on, it's only two years. Angel was like over 200 years older than you."  
  
"Point taken. Alright where did you meet him?" says Buffy, continuing the interrogation.   
  
"In my chem. class."  
  
"A senior taking a sophomore course?"  
  
"Well… he's not actually a senior. He's sorta flunked a few years…"  
  
"So what do we have? An older, dumb, girly named horndog. Why are you going out with him again?"  
  
"You can't judge him on only that. He happens to be very, very, very cute." says Dawn, coyly.  
  
"We'll see when I meet him."  
  
  
An hour later…  
  
"I cannot believe he stood me up. This is the worst thing that could've happened."  
  
"Sorry, Dawny. Maybe something came up?." says Buffy, sympathetically.  
  
"No, there's no way he would miss this party. He probably went with someone else."  
  
"You know, you could still make it. I could drop you off?"  
  
"I can't show my face there by myself. I'm just gonna go to my room & try to think of a good excuse to tell people of why I wasn't there." says Dawn frustrated, and she goes upstairs.  
  
  
```````````````  
  
Hmm. It's almost dark again, I must've slept through most of the day, Spike thinks to himself as he picks himself up, feeling groggy. Getting up too quickly, he's overwhelmed with headrush and body ache, the effects of his hangover. Slowly, he begins walking down the middle of the road. He kicks a rock.  
It skittles a few feet away. As he turns to see where it went, he sees a light coming toward him. It's blurry. He ears get filled with the sound of a deafening truck honk, then… _BAM!!!  
  
_


	2. Questions

  
  
  
Ch 2. Questions  
  
  
  
"He's been unconscious for around 24 hours, now."   
  
"Do we have any information on him?"  
  
"None at all. There was no identification on him."   
  
"What do we have from the guy who hit him?"  
  
"The statement we got from the truck driver was that he was wandering in the middle of road, and he wasn't able to stop in time. He was very upset when he called, he wants to know if there's a possibility he'll have any charges filed against him."   
  
"Probably not. We found a high level of alcohol concentration in this man's blood."   
  
"This guy looks like a bum. His clothes were all worn out and dirty, he was just in very bad condition."   
  
"He still is. His stomach was extremely weak, looks like he was suffering from malnutrition on top of heatstroke, plus the recent injuries of the accident."   
  
"How bad are they?"  
  
"They could be worse. He's got a fractured wrist, some severe headwounds, a couple bumps here & there but what I'm most concerned about are the serious damage done to his right leg. It'll take several surgeries to repair it and a lot of time & work, before he'll be walking again."   
  
"Doctor, how long are we gonna keep him without knowing any information?"   
  
"He should wake up soon. Then he'll be able to answer all our questions. Meanwhile, why don't you send a message to the local police station to check if there have been any missing person reports, see if he fits any of the descriptions."   
  
"Okay, I'm on it."   
  
```````````````  
  
Back over at the Summer's house, Dawn is trying to convince Buffy to let her go with her to find some demon, but is so far, unsuccessful. Buffy is tempted to call over Clem, whose become their new regular babysitter.   
  
"What about all that stuff about showing me the world?" says Dawn.  
  
"I will, but that doesn't include showing you the insides of a trion demon." says Buffy, "Now do you want me to call Clem to hang out here awhile?"   
  
"No, I'll be okay." she says quickly.  
  
"What's wrong, have you gotten sick of him?"  
  
"Kinda, Clem's a sweetie, but it was more fun when Spike was the babysitter. It was never boring."  
  
"Spike? Where did that come from?" says Buffy, putting her coat on.  
  
"Don't hate me for saying this but, I actually kinda miss him. Don't get me wrong, I hate him for what he did to you…" says Dawn, " …but I dunno he would tell me interesting stories, he wouldn't make me feel like a baby, and I always felt safe with him. Unlike Clem who's gullible & naive, and he can pretty clumsy sometimes."  
  
"Okay so he's not perfect, but God, neither was Spike. You're making him sound like some kind of guardian angel. He wasn't exactly the safest guy to be with."  
  
"That didn't stop you from being with him." Buffy gives her a glare.   
  
"Kidding." says Dawn,   
  
"Whether you felt secure with him or not, he was still a vampire. A dangerous one. The only thing holding him back was the chip."   
  
"Still, even without it, I don't think he would've ever hurt me."  
  
"Dawn, I know you trusted him, but I didn't. And when I almost did, I wounded up getting hurt. So let's just drop it, I honestly think the best thing he ever did was leave."  
  
"Alright, I'm sorry, I'll drop it. But back to the point, you have to let me go with you. I can help."  
Buffy rolls her eyes & walks out the door.  
  
````````````````  
  
"….we're getting a reaction."  
  
Spike gradually opens his eyes to the sound of a faint voice. This room he's in is very white and clean. And bright. He winces. _What's going on?_  
  
"His heart rate is steadily increasing to a normal pulse."   
  
"He's awake."   
  
_Who are these people?_  
  
"Hello, can you hear me?"  
  
_Where am I?_  
  
"You're at the Prespertyrian Hospital of Sunnydale."   
  
_Why am I here?_  
  
"You were in an accident."  
  
_Damn, this pain is unbearable…_  
  
"Can you give us any information about yourself? A name, or number? Maybe we can call a relative?"  
  
_Huh?_


	3. Pain

  
  
  
[[ Ch 3. Pain ]]  
  
  
```````````````  
  
"Hey there, my name is Alyssa. I'm your room nurse. How are you feeling?"  
  
Spike clears his throat & begins speaking raspy & emotionless, "Kinda numb."  
  
"Yeah, we gave you a bunch of painkillers last night. You were shaking."  
  
He takes a deep breath, "Oh."  
  
"Let me just check your temperature." she clicks the thermometer into his ear & reads it. "100.2, it's getting better, but still pretty high. How's your headache?"   
  
"Not as bad."  
  
"Apart from your right leg, are unable to control or move another body part?"  
  
"No."  
  
So you're feeling better from before?  
  
"A little."  
  
Nurse Alyssa sits down with the medical report, "Now, can you give us your name?  
  
"My name?"  
  
"Yeah, can you tell me your name?" she watches him closely, but he stays quiet.  
  
"Okay, anything? Any information about yourself?"  
  
He shakes his head.   
  
She sighs," Do you remember what happened the night of the accident a few days ago?", she waits for some kind of response, but gets nothing. She writes something on the database. "Alright, I leave you alone for awhile so you can get some rest. If you need anything, just buzz in." she smiles at him and leaves the room.  
  
`````````````````  
  
"Owwww, it hurts. Shit!"  
  
"Dawn, watch your language. This is all you fault, anyway. I told you not to come along. Now hold still let me check it out." says Buffy, as she examines the big, bloody cut on Dawn's shoulder.  
  
Xander walks in from the kitchen, "What's going on?"  
  
"Dawn insisted on going after this demon with me, & got her shoulder slashed." says Buffy, "By the way, where did you come from?"  
  
"Kitchen." Xander says, pointing behind him. "I got hungry & deciding to mosey on over."   
  
"This pain is horrible, God, I feel like he hit the bone or something, Ugh!," Dawn yells, while biting her lip.  
  
"I should probably take you to the hospital; I can't tell how deep it is. Xander, can you help?"   
  
"Sure." He picks up Dawn & they go to the car.   
  
"Ooh, don't touch it!"   
"Whoops, sorry bout that."  
  
`````````````````  
  
"It's been a couple days since he first arrived & he is still unable to tell any us information. He can't remember anything about the accident or about him."  
  
"Yeah, it's just as we had suspected from what we checked on the tests we ran on him earlier. We believe he is suffering from Type B Amnesia."  
  
"Refresh my memory what is Type B, again?"  
  
"He has common knowledge of things, he knows how to complete everyday tasks. For example, he remembers how to chew & swallow food, and he knows what a hospital or a nurse is, but anything regarding himself or his past he has no recollection of." he replies.  
  
"Is it temporary or long-term?"  
  
"That, we are uncertain of. We have to perform more tests & analysis on him. But mostly we just have to wait & see if he remembers anything."  
  
"So in the meantime what are we gonna do, we need some kind of information on him."  
  
"Well, we checked on the police files, and we think we know who he is."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"What do we have?"  
  
`````````````  
  
I don't know what's worse…   
This throbbing pain inside my head. Not being able to move or feel anything on my leg.   
The needles they keeping sticking in my wrists & veins. The overall soreness all around my body.   
Having the nurses & doctors coming in & out checking on me, asking my all these questions.   
Or maybe what's worse is the fact that I honestly can't answer them…  
The leg, definitely the leg is the worst.  
I'm completely incapable of moving it. I have no control of it whatsoever. I try, and I try… with all my might but nothing. It won't move, not even a single budge. I can't even feel it. The doctors keep examining it & poking it but I don't feel anything, not a bloody thing! It really freaks me out…  
I'd rather it hurt, I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all. Cuz' then I'd at least _feel_ something…  
So what am I going to do about this whole amnesia thing?…  



	4. Unaware

A.N. New chapter here. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. :)   
I really appreciate it. Hope you all like this chapter, plz keep reviewing. And if anyone has any new ideas or suggestions, feel free to lemme know. I like the feedback. tanKs.  
  
  
  
  
Ch 4. Unaware   
  
  
  
Buffy, Xander and Dawn arrived at the hospital to get Dawn's shoulder checked. Her injury was minor, however the doctor recommend that she wear a shoulder cast for two weeks to protect it from further damage. He also suggested she stay overnight just in case.   
  
"Xander it's pretty late, you should go now." says Buffy.   
  
"You staying?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm gonna spend the night here with Dawn."  
  
"Alright, what time should pick ya'll up tomorrow?" asks Xander.   
  
"I'll call you, & let ya know we she's released. Also would you mind calling 'Doublemeat Palace' & tell my boss I won't be able to make it tomorrow.  
  
"Sure. Goodnight Dawn, try not to get hurt yourself anymore between now & tomorrow. Those movable flatbeds can be pretty darn tricky."  
  
"Very funny." says Dawn frosty.  
  
"See ya, Buff." He waves behind him and leaves.   
  
Dawn turns around and looks at Buffy meekly. "You mad?"  
  
She sighs, "No of course I'm not mad, if anything I'm glad you're okay. But do you see what your fun little ideas did? It landed us in the hospital. Good thing we have insurance."  
  
  
```````````````  
In another part of the hospital…  
  
"What have you got?"  
  
"David Schroeder, age 29. English Caucasian. Height-5"10, 160 lbs. Brown hair, blue eyes. He was reported missing around three weeks ago in Sacramento."  
  
"This is who we think our patient is?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"How much information do we have on this David Schroeder?"  
  
"Very little. Pretty much what I just stated."  
  
"Well, does he have any family?"  
  
"None. He's an only child, his parents passed away some time ago, & from what we know he's never been married." she replies.  
  
"How sure are you that this is him?"  
  
"We're around 90% sure it's him. He fits the description pretty accurately as well as the profile we've got, and he has blood type A, same as this guy." she shows him the profile.   
  
He examines the profile carefully. "I think you're right. It's him."  
  
"So what do we do now?"  
  
"We inspect the situation & the facts a little more thoroughly, so we can be absolutely assured this is him. Odds are it is."   
  
```````````````  
  
Okay if I turn left here, then I must be…  
Lost. Yep, I'm so lost, Buffy thinks to herself.   
You'd think would after coming to this hospital so many times when Mom was sick I'd know my way around. No wait, I think with Mom that was in another building specifically for patients with cancer or other terminally fatal diseases... Anyway that's doesn't matter right now, so where am I? Who knows. This is all Dawn's fault.   
'Buffy, I hate the food they gave me. Can you go to the vending machines & get me some candy & chips?'   
'Sure Dawny, be right back.'   
I was so dumb. I could've just said no, but instead I go & get myself lost. Okay, just think. I went to the first floor where the main lobby is. That's simple enough. Then I went back upstairs to the forth floor, where I thought was Dawn's room, but all I saw were rooms with babies & screaming ladies in them. Afterwards was when I made my fatal mistake of taking another elevator on the other side back down to the lobby. That wasn't the main lobby, I saw no snack bar. So I decided to just look all around for the elevator I had taken earlier. That was around twenty minutes ago, she sighs.   
She walks up to a janitor. "Excuse me sir, can you tell me where room 24D is?"   
  
"Room 24D? I think that's in the forth level." he says.  
  
"Yeah, I went there and it was the Maternity Ward."  
  
"Oh really, well then maybe you're in the wrong building."  
  
"But I never left this building." she says.   
  
"Well sometimes, if you walk far enough on the ground level you cross over to the next building."   
  
"Oh."   
  
"Why don't you try going to the building right beside here?"  
  
"Alright then, thank you." Reluctantly, she walks outside over to the next building and to the front desk.   
  
"Miss, can you tell me where room 24D is?", she asks then receptionist.  
  
"Lemme check, we don't have a room 24D, but we do have just 24. How bout' that?"   
  
Buffy shrugs, "Alright."  
  
"It's on the second floor."  
  
She goes on the elevator up to the second floor. She gets out and looks down the hallway.  
Hey, this looks familiar, she thinks to herself. Yay, I found it. There's even that same poster of the bald guy.   
She walks into room 24.  
  
"Hey Dawn I'm back, sorry I took so…", she looks at the guy lying on the bed. Oops, that's not Dawn.  
  
"I am so sorry, I must have the wrong room." she quickly turns around.  
  
"That's alright." he says.  
  
She begins to leave, when she quickly stops herself. _Hmm_... that voice sounds familiar.  
  
"Spike?" 


	5. Identity

A.N. Okay so here's the new chapter, picking up where the last one left behind.   
(btw, i'm not evil :P, lol...) I luff getting more reviews, tanKs to all, please keep on reviewing.  
I hope ya'll like this chappy & have a nice day. :)  
  
  
  
Ch 5. Identity   
  
  
  
Buffy quickly turns around & looks at him. "Oh my God, it's you."  
  
"Um… do I know you?" he says.   
  
Taken aback, "Spike, what the hell's wrong with you, its me." she says.   
  
He looks at her blankly.  
She quickly puts her jacket & purse on a counter, and slowly walks towards his bed. He looks up at her, and she stares down on him intensely. His eyes are vacant.   
But it is him, Buffy thinks to herself, it has to be, he looks & sounds just like...  
  
She takes a few steps back and observes the room around her. She sees ivy tubes, needles, and heart monitors and… sunlight creeping into the room through the window. Then she looks back at him, It can't be.  
  
"I'm sorry miss, but um uh, I'm not sure what…"he stutters out.  
  
"Nevermind." she sighs, "I must be mistaken. I'm so sorry to disturb you, I'm gonna go now." She grabs her jacket and leaves hurriedly.  
  
"Wait, you forgot your purse." He shouts, but she's gone. That was weird, he leans backs on the bed.  
The door opens again.   
  
"Hey miss, you left your purse...", he says again.  
  
"What?" says Nurse Alyssa, as she comes in the room.  
  
"Oh I thought you were that girl, she left her purse here." he replies.  
  
"What girl? Did you have a visitor?" she asks.  
  
"Uh no, she wasn't a visitor, she walked in by mistake... nevermind."  
  
"Okay. Anyway are you up for learning some basic facts about yourself with a small group of doctors?"   
  
"Yeah, sure. Are you gonna be there?"  
  
"Of course." she says with a smile.  
  
A couple minutes later three doctors enter the room and greet them.  
  
"Hello, I'm Dr. Tilberg. I'm an amnesiac specialist, this is Dr. Blanco." He points to the brunette, middle-aged woman, "And your regular doctor, Jon Dillard." He turns towards the taller man, with a goatee and streaks of gray through his dark hair.  
  
"So right now we're just gonna be working with you in spite of your loss of memory. Unfortunately we have very little to go on so, we're just gonna have to try our best." says Dr. Dillard.  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna tell you some information about yourself, & just maybe see if they ring a bell or something." says Dr. Tilberg, as he takes a seat.  
  
"Alright, shoot." says Spike.  
  
"Does the name, David Schroeder sound familiar?" states Dr. Tilberg  
  
"David Schroeder?"  
  
"Yeah, does that name strike a chord at all?"  
  
"David Schroeder." He repeats, as the others watch closely. "Why is that me?"  
  
Dr. Tilberg nods. "Let's move on, what about Edward and Kelly Schroeder?"  
  
"My parents, I assume?"  
  
"Yeah. They got married in 1965 & had you eight years later on March 12,1973 in Yorkshire, England where you were raised until your family moved here to the states when you were five. You grew up an only child, when you were 17 your father died of lung cancer and later when you were 24 you mom passed away as well. Does any of this sound familiar?"  
  
Spike shuts his eyes tightly, & rubs his forehead, genuinely trying his best to remember something but unfortunately... he sighs, "Not at all."  
  
"I see." says Dr. Tilberg, "Will you excuse us for a second." He and Dr. Blanco leave the room.  
  
"Well... this sucks." he says.  
  
"It's okay. I'm sure they didn't really expect you to remember a whole bunch just by telling you a few things about yourself." says Nurse Alyssa.  
  
"She's right David, so don't worry too much." says Dr. Dillard.  
  
A few minutes later the other two came back in. "Okay we're gonna go now but, we'll be checking up on you real soon, okay?" The three doctors leave the room, but the nurse stays.  
  
Spike has a funny look on his face. "What's wrong?" asks Nurse Alyssa.  
  
"He called me David. It just felt odd, that's all. But I guess I better get used to it." he says, looking up at her.  
  
"Why, do you not like David?" she says.   
  
"No it's not that, David's a good name. I guess I just thought it would be more ya know... English? Something like William or Thurston."  
  
"Aww, you're pretty cute. But from what I checked your dad was English, but your mom was American, so maybe that's where that came from?"  
  
"Yeah, maybe."  
  
"It won't take long before you get used to David." she says, as she flips her hair back. "Okay well I have to leave now, my shift's almost over. "  
  
"Poo." he says.  
  
"Yeah, I would like to stay longer, but I can't." she points to the purse that Buffy had left behind, "Do you want me to take this to the lost & found?"   
  
"No, that's okay. The girl who left will probably come back to get it."  
  
"Alright then, get some sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning."  
  
"Yeah, I will." he says, " Bye."   
  
"Bye, _David_."  



	6. Meeting

  
  
Ch 6. Meeting   
  
  
_  
Buffy, can you pass me the TV remote? Buffy? Buffy… BUFFY!_  
  
"What!?", she snaps out of it & finally hears Dawn.  
  
"Gimme the remote!"  
  
"Oh." She hands her the remote, "Here."  
  
"What's wrong with you?" asks Dawn.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You seem distracted."  
  
"I'm not." says Buffy.  
  
"Are you sure? You look like you saw a ghost or something."  
  
"No I didn't see any ghost."   
  
Dawn shrugs, "Alright, then."   
She turns on the TV, and begins watching; while Buffy just sits there thinking about that guy. How is it possible that someone can look almost identical to another stranger? He even talked like him. If I didn't know better, I would think it was him. But it's not. So I should just forget about it. But I just can't seem to do that. Maybe I just imagined it all and that guy actually looks nothing like Spike. Yeah, that's probably it. I mean, he didn't even have bleached hair; his was brown. So there. He doesn't look like him & I just thought it did because… I miss him? Nah. That can't be it. Anyway it doesn't matter now cause I won't ever see him again.  
  
A few minutes later a nurse comes in. "…And be sure to stop by the desk before you leave. You need to sing the release forms & we need to check your insurance card."   
  
"Yeah sure, it's right here in my pur…" she stops midway. _Oh crap! _  
  
```````````````  
  
Around later, Buffy goes back to the guy's room. It's okay, just go in there, get the purse and try not to look directly at him, she think to herself. She goes in.  
  
He sees here & sits up, "Hey, you came back."  
  
"I forgot my purse." She says looking down by his neck.   
  
"Yeah, I know. It's in that cabinet."  
  
"Oh okay." She gets her purse, and begins turning around.  
  
"Wait, you not gonna rush outta here again, like last time are you?" he says.  
  
She turns back around and finally looks at him. "It's just last time, I guess I uh got a little freaked out when I saw you."_ But I don't seem to be anymore…_  
  
"You thought I was someone else?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I see."  
  
"You just look so much like him. I guess it was a little painful seeing him, when I saw you. Even though it wasn't him; it was you. I mean you're not him, obviously you're you. I'm sorry I'm rambling… "  
  
"No that's okay, you look cute rambling."  
  
She shrugs, "I guess."  
  
"So... uh, this guy, he must've hurt you."  
  
"Why would you say that?"  
  
"You said it was painful to see him. I guess one would assume he hurt you a bit."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I was kinda at a weird place in my life." _What am I doing talking about something quite personal to a total stranger?_  
  
There's a couple seconds silence. He breaks it, "Could you hand me that cup of juice?"  
  
"Sure." She quickly turns and steps wrong, causing her to trip. She promptly tries to pull herself up by grabbing the closest thing near her, which happens to be his cast leg, and tugs it down with her. His body jerks up, and Buffy finally lets go & gets up.   
  
She cringes, "Oh my God, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. Ugh, and it was the leg that's already injured. I am so sorry."   
  
He reassembles himself back up. "No, no. It's okay."  
  
"Are you sure? I mean it's hurt & I made it worse. I kinda dragged you down." she says, talking fast.  
  
"No really. Its fine." He says.  
  
"You're not just saying that to make me feel better? Cuz' if you're in pain I could go get a nurse."  
  
"No don't get a nurse. I didn't feel anything."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't have any consciousness in that leg. I can't move it or feel anything on it."  
  
"Oh." She says softly, "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay, it's not your fault."   
  
"If you don't mind, how did it happen?"  
  
"I… uh, got hit by a truck."  
  
She winces, "Oh... uh, that's horrible. It must've really...sucked."  
  
"I guess, I don't really remember... So why are you here, in the hospital?"  
  
"Oh, my little sister got slashed on her shoulder by a dem--knife."  
  
"Poor thing."  
  
"But she's okay… You know, I just realized I've been here for about five minutes now, & you don't even know who I am or me either." she says, then extends her hand out. "I'm Buffy Summers."  
  
He shakes her hand, "Buffy, that's a interesting name. Hehe, Buffy… "  
  
"Hey, don't gimme crap about my name. I like it."  
  
"Well good for you." He says kiddingly.  
  
"So what's_ your_ name?"  
  
He pauses for a second, " It's uh… David Schroeder, apparently."  
  
She gives him a funny look. "Okay… Well you know David not such a great name, either. It's very common. Like John. You'd think with the accent, your name would be more English."  
  
"That's what I thought, too."  
  
She looks at her watch, "It's been awhile, I should get back."  
  
"Poo."  
  
"Yeah, It was nice meeting you, David."  
  
"Nice meeting you, too." he says.   
  
"Bye." She begins to leave to the room.  
  
"Hey Buffy..."  
  
"Yeah?" she turns around.  
  
"When you're not busy, do you think that maybe... you could come visit me sometime? I'd like that. I don't really get any visitors, so besides the doctors & nurses I don't see anybody else. And I'd really like to see you, again."   
  
"Sure." she smiles at him, as she leaves. "I'll come back sometime."   



	7. Stories

  
A.N. New chappy. :D Sorry it took so long, I've been kinda busy. Anyway, thanks to all who've reviewed. to Falcon-Rider, yeah I totally guessed on his weight & height. let's just say spike bigger than James, lol... & to SilviB, she _has_ recognized him but she doesn't know he's been turned human, so she doesn't think its possible that it is him. & thanks to everyone else who likes the story. hope you all like this chapter & plz keep reviewing, i luff reviews :)  
  
  
Ch 7. Stories  
  
  
"Do you wanna do something tonight? We can go to a movie or something…" asks Buffy.  
  
"I have plans tonight." Dawn replies.  
  
"What plans?"  
  
"I'm going out with Sunny."  
  
"This wouldn't happen to be the same Sunny who stood you up last week, would it?"  
  
"Yeah, but he had a good reason."  
  
Buffy raises her eyebrow. "He did." says Dawn. "Please don't judge, I really like this guy."  
  
"Alright." she sighs, "I guess I'll go to the hospital, then."  
  
"The hospital? Why?"  
  
"I gonna go see this guy I met."  
  
"You met a guy, and you didn't tell me!"   
  
"It's not what you think, he's a patient at the hospital. I accidentally walked into his room by mistake & left my purse there. When I went back to get it we talked for a little bit and he's nice."  
  
"So what's he look like?" Dawn asks eagerly.  
  
_He looks like Spike._ "Like any other guy." she answers.  
  
"Is he cute?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"What's his name?"  
  
"David Sh…", a car honk interrupts her. Dawn runs to the window. "That's Sunny, I have to go. But tell me all the details when I get back."  
  
"Fine. Don't stay out too late." Buffy says, as she watches her smitten sister runs out the door.  
  
````````````````  
An hour later, Buffy's at the hospital. She softly taps on the door & walks in. "David?"  
  
He looks over at her and sits up. "Hey you came."  
  
"Yeah, I told you I would."  
  
"I'm glad you did." he says.  
  
"So…what's up?"  
  
"Nothing really, I'm having surgery tomorrow."  
  
"That's nothing?"  
  
"Well I'm asleep through it, so yeah." She laughs quietly. "So how's your sister?"  
  
"She's better. She actually on a date tonight. With a sleazebag."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"They all are." She says all-knowingly.  
  
"Hey, I'm not!"  
  
"Yeah, we'll see." She smiles at him. _Wait a minute, am I flirting with him? No, of course not!_  
  
"So like, do you take care of your sister?"  
  
"Yeah. Our mom passed away two years ago, and well we never really hear from our dad."  
  
He lowers his voice, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"I expect you being a legal guardian of someone else at a young age must be pretty hard."  
  
"Yeah." _Like you have no idea._ "It can be overwhelming sometimes, but I'm getting better."  
  
  
Meanwhile at a burger joint on the other side of town…  
  
"I'm glad you decided to give me another chance. After I left ya hangin' last time, I didn't expect you to ever speak to me again. At least not for a whole week. " says Sunny.  
  
"Yeah…lets just forget about that. So what's up?" says Dawn.  
  
"Uh, I convinced Ms. Cook not to fail me again. So that pulls my average up to a D+." he says proudly.  
  
"That's great."  
  
The waitress comes up to their table and brings them their orders. "That'll be $23.70."  
  
He turns to Dawn, "Hey I left my wallet in my other pants... do you think you could pay for the meal?"   
  
"I guess." she says tensely. She pulls out her purse & pays the waitress, turns and looks down at her food._ Ugh! Burgers. Like I don't get enough burgers with Buffy working at Doublemeat. And I have to pay for it? This sucks. He couldn't have at least taken me to taco joint?_  
  
"So anyways, you missed one hell of a party at Gia's last week…"  
  
_Because of you._  
  
"One of her friends hired a male stripper who was such a fag! Me &some of the guys started beating him up."  
  
Dawn just sits there & pretends to looks interested._ Buffy's right, why am I even dating this guy_.  
  
"And someone brought some beer, so half the people their were wasted. So when Gia was blowing out her candles, this drunk guy tripped on her & her hair caught on fire!" he starts laughing, "It was funny."   
  
_I think I may know why..._  
  
"It got real loud, & I heard the police showed up. But I wasn't there, I left early."  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Yeah, it wasn't much fun without you." he flashes her a smile.  
  
_…because he's soooooooo cute!  
_  
-----------------  
  
"…And then Oz left, and she stayed with Tara."  
  
"Poor guy. He must've been heartbroken. But then he shouldn't have expected everything to have remained to same while he was gone."  
  
"Yeah." she nods. She had spent the last few hours telling him most of the details of her life & her friends' excluding the slayer & supernatural stuff, of course. It wasn't something she would've ever normally done, but she found him so easy to talk to.  
  
"So is Willow still with Tara?"  
  
"Um… no. They broke up, then got back together. Then Tara died."  
  
"Are you serious? How?" he says, shocked.  
  
"She uh… was in a car accident."  
  
"That's awful. Poor Willow, how did she take it?"  
  
"Not so well." she says. _Understatement of the century..._  
  
"I wanna meet these friends of yours. Xander, Willow, Anya, and Giles. Oh and especially Dawn. With everything you've told me about them I feel like I know them."  
  
"Yeah sure. Except Willow & Giles are currently in London taking care of some stuff. But the others I'll definitely bring them over sometime. Anyway, I've been telling you all about me, now you tell me about you."  
  
"Um, okay. My name is David Schroeder. I'm twenty-nine, and an only child. My parents are Edward and Kelly Schroeder. I was born in Yorkshire, England and moved to California when I was 5. When I was 17 my dad died of lung cancer and then when I was 24 my mom died also."   
  
"That's all?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"That can't be all. You must have _some _stories."  
  
He thinks for a minute, "When I was eleven I fell out of a tree."  
  
She looks at him for awhile, then out the window. "Wow, it's dark already. I didn't even notice. I have to go. I'll be back on Wednesday. And when I do you better have some stories to tell me about yourself, alright?  
  
"Okay, I will. Bye." He watches her leave the room, then leans back on the bed & sighs.   
_Great, now what am I gonna do? _  
  
  
  



	8. Crush

  
  
Ch 8. Crush  
  
  
  
"Where have you been, Missy?" says Dawn in an prudish, motherly like voice, as Buffy came back.  
  
"What?" she says.  
  
"Look at what time it is, well?"  
Buffy rolls her eyes at her. "I was just at the hospital & lost track of time."  
  
Dawn starts talking normally, "I make a good Buffy impression, huh?"  
  
"That is _so _not me!"  
  
Dawn laughs, "Anyway, so when are you gonna tell me about this mystery hospital dude."  
  
"Oh yeah." she smiles, "Well, like I said before, his name is David. I accidentally walked in room and we just started talking."  
  
"Well, what's he like, what does he look like? Give me details."  
  
Buffy begins talking as she sits down on the couch, "He's got brown hair, kinda long, and brown eyes. He has some scratches on his face cuz' of the accident he was in."  
  
"What kind of accident?"  
  
"He was hit by a truck."  
  
Dawn winces, "Ooh."  
  
"Yeah." she nods in agreement, "He's just very easy to talk to, we talked for hours today."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Practically everything. How hard it was when mom & dad got divorced and then when she died, I told him about when I met Willow & Xander and all the drama we've been through. And Giles… and you, but of course I was careful about editing the stories so they didn't include anything slayer or supernatural content…  
  
"That's good."  
  
"…And I also told him about my relationships with Angel & Riley, even Parker and how he played me. I didn't really want to mention Spike because I thought it would be kinda weird with him kinda looking…" she stops for a minute. "Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
"_Dang_, Buffy."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You told a complete stranger basically you're entire life story."  
  
She pauses, "Nuh uh."  
  
"Yeah huh."  
  
"He's not _really _a stranger. He's David."  
  
"Okay…"  
  
"I didn't tell him _everything _that's happened in my life. Just some stuff. I mostly talked about other people's lives like Xander's, & Giles' & Willow's. Besides it's not like I gave him my address or social security number."   
  
Dawn sighs, "Okay, what did he tell you about him."  
  
"Nothing." Buffy says slowly, while looking down.  
  
"Nothing? He didn't tell you anything about himself?" she asks.   
  
"When he was eleven he fell out of a tree." she says, naively. Dawn almost laughs.   
"Well hey, he promised he would tell stuff about him, the next time I go see him."  
  
"Buffy, it's okay. I was messin' around. If anything I'm glad your getting crushes on guys again."  
  
"What? Crush? I don't have a crush on him."  
  
"Oh okay…" Dawn nods, "Right."  
  
"I don't." Buffy says, defensively.  
  
"Okay, you willingly spent the last couple hours with him yet you say you don't like this guy?"  
  
"That's right. No! Yeah, I like him, but I don't like him."  
  
"Fine, if you don't wanna admit to me what I already know that's fine."  
  
"I'm serious! I don't like him like that, he's just a friend."  
  
Walking upstairs to her room, "Whatever." says Dawn.  
  
```````````````  
  
"Good Morning." says Nurse Alyssa, walking in the room. "How's my favorite patient?"  
  
"He's just peachy.", answers Spike.  
  
"Here's your breakfast." She says, while placing the down in front of him.  
  
"Ooh, eggs." he says, grabbing a fork and begins eating.  
  
"You're okay after coming out of that surgery?"  
  
"Mm hmm."  
  
"So, who was that girl who was here yesterday?" Alyssa says, while looking over her papers.  
  
He swallows his down food, "Mmm, Buffy Summers. I met her here at the hospital."  
  
"In bed and yet still getting de' ladies? You're good."  
  
"Neh. I like her, but she's just a friend. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Oh, I was just making sure no one was moving in on my crush." She says, casually.  
  
"Never, luv. I'm forever yours." He says and continues eating.  
  
She smiles at him, "Okay, don't forget later today we'll begin treatment for your leg movement restoration therapy. I'll be back in a little bit to pick up your tray." She leaves the room.  
He looks down at his hash browns, and puts his tray aside. He wasn't that hungry anymore. Then he turns towards his injured leg. It didn't really matter anyway, it's useless.   
  
  
  



	9. Naptime

A.N. hey peoples, new chapta, up in here. :)   
I hope everyone's liking the story, thanks for the review, plz keep reviewing. also thx for the ppl suggesting things, i like hearing other people's opinion, i may even some of them. anyway, i'll try to have the next chapta up soon. tanki, & have a nIce daY ! !  
  
  
  
Ch 9. Naptime   
  
  
It's Wednesday, and Buffy's at the hospital, to visit David. She walks into his room, but he's not there.  
  
"Can I help you, miss?" says a voice behind her.  
  
Buffy turns around, and it's a nurse. "Oh. Um, I was uh just looking for David."  
  
"Oh he's with some doctors right now." the nurse says.  
  
"Oh. Okay, I'll just come back later." she begins walking out.  
  
"Are you Buffy?" the nurse asks.  
  
She pauses, "Uh, yeah, how do you know?"  
  
"David's told me a little about you."   
  
"Oh really? What has he said?"  
  
"Just that you walked in by mistake, and left your purse here, came back and you two began talking . And that you gotten to know each other and that he likes you."  
  
Buffy smiles," Yeah, that's about it."  
  
The nurse nods but doesn't say anything. "So..." says Buffy, "Um, around what time will he be back?"  
  
"He should return from his session with his amnesiac specialists in about an hour."  
  
"Okay, then I just come ba…" she stops herself midway, "Amnesiac specialists? Uh, why would he be meeting with them?" she asks, suspiciously.   
  
"Just some standard procedures to work on restoring his memory loss." says the nurse.   
  
"Memory loss? You mean he has amnesia?"   
  
"Yeah, hasn't he told you about it?"   
  
"Uh yeah..." she says, leisurely, then begins speaking faster, "Yes, of course he's told me about it, yeah. I uh, was just having a blonde moment there." she laughs nervously. " Well I'm just gonna go now."  
  
"Do you want me to tell him you'll be here later?" offers the nurse.  
  
"Um, no that's okay. He'll probably come back tired and wanna take a nap or something, I'll just come back some other day." Buffy says. She turns around with a funny expression on her face, and leaves.   
  
  
Awhile later, Spike ,or "David", comes back from his session.  
  
"Ugh, I'm glad that's over." he says to Nurse Alyssa, as the intern orderlee lays him back on the bed.   
  
"Mmm, how'd it go." she asks.  
  
"Alright, I guess, it was just all dragged out. And long, it felt like hours. Dr. Tilberg and Dr. Blanco are all there with me with all these other guys doing all kinds of questions, and tests and wave analysis. It just ugh, bugs me." he says groggily. "I'm telling you three straight hours of testing like hell. And that lady Dr. Blanco, can work your last nerve. And at the end I'm pretty exhausted from doing practically nothing."  
  
Alyssa smiles sympathetically, "They're just doing their jobs. They wanna help you get better. Don't you want to get you memory back?"  
  
He yawns, "I suppose."  
  
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it when you continue to go every other day."  
  
"Every other day?" he groans, while his eyelids slowly begin drooping.  
  
Alyssa nods, "Yep, every other day."   
  
"Great, then I'll always have something to look forward to." he mumbles, sarcastically.   
  
She begins fluffing his pillows and spreading his sheets. "So did you remember anything?"  
  
"Uh unh." he yawns again, & shakes his head.  
  
"Oh well, slowly you'll get there."  
  
"Mmm, yeah." He says, with his eyes closed.  
  
She looks at him & smiles, "You're really sleepy, huh?"   
  
"Naw, I'm just restin' my eyes."   
  
She sets things up around the room, and begins writing in the file.  
"That girl, Buffy came to see you today."  
  
"Mmm." he murmurs, not really paying attention, but gradually falling asleep.  
  
"But since you were in session, she said she come back another time." she says.  
  
"Mmm, hmm."  
  
Alyssa finishes checking off the room, and dims the light. "Okay I'll let ya sleep." She whispers to him, but he's already in deep slumber. "_Sweet Dreams_."  
  
-------------------  
_  
"William, have you completed your studies?"  
"Yes, mum." called out the 11 year old boy.  
"Then what the bloody hell are you doing?" shouted his mother, as she stormed into his room.  
"Umm… Mr. Ramsey has began teaching me about poetry, and I was just writing a few…"  
"Poems? Why would that man be wasting time teaching you about poetry? So you can grow up to become a lower class poet?" she said.   
"Mr. Ramsey says it just a form of expression…" he tried to explain, but she interrupts him.  
"I don't want to hear it William. He should be teaching you arithmetic and history, instead of this garbage. I swear I'm gonna fire that man one of these days."  
"No don't mum, please! He is a really good teacher and he's patient with me. And you won't find another teacher who'll work for you, with the minimal amount you pay him." pleaded the boy.  
"Well I'll think about it. But right now go help your father with his errands." his mother said.  
"Okay, mum." he said, and goes downstairs.  
_


	10. Toe

  
A.N. Sorry it took so long for this new chapter, but in order to make up for it I made it longer, so... here it is. Hope you like it. Plz review! :)   
  
  
Ch 10. Toe   
  
  
"Ow, Owwww!"  
  
"Do you want me to stop?" asks the doctor.  
  
"Yeah!"   
  
He stops. He unattaches the clips of his patient's foot, and turns off the apparatus.   
  
"That really hurt."  
  
"It's supposed to."  
  
Spike smiles, "This is good, right?"  
  
"Very good." replies Dr. Dillard.  
  
"I felt something!" he says ecstatically, "It was painful, but nonetheless I felt it! Right there on my toe!" he points towards the tip of his wounded leg. "I love that toe!"  
  
"I'm glad to see you progressing, David. In good time you'll be able to feel your entire right leg."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
Dr. Dillard writes his collected data in his files, as he begins poking his toe.  
"Okay David, this will end out session today. We'll meet again on Thursday." says Dr. Dillard, as he heads out.  
  
"Listen Doc, Um… I just wanted to say thank you. Very Much. You have no idea how much this means to me." He says sincerely.  
  
"Just doin' my job."  
  
`````````````````````  
Meanwhile at Buffy's house, the girls are at home and Xander comes over.  
  
  
"Hey Xander, how've you been?" says Buffy.  
  
"Pretty darn good, flowing in my MOney." Xander says.  
  
"MO-ney?"   
  
"Yeah, ya know like that song? MOney, MOney. It sounds better than just plain muh-ney." he says.  
  
Buffy smiles at him, "You're so silly."  
  
"More like corny." Dawn says under her breath. Xander turns and looks at her, & she quickly grins exaggeratedly wide at him.  
  
"So they paid the construction workers pretty generously for rebuilding the school, huh?" says Buffy.  
  
"That they did."  
  
"So when are they reopening it?" asks Dawn.  
  
"They're gonna begin enrolling students by next semester." He answers.  
  
"A new generation of kids getting the privilege of attending high school on a hellmouth, how peachy." says  
Buffy, lightly sarcastic.  
  
"So Xander, has Buffy told you about the new man in her life?" says Dawn.  
  
"What? A new man? I thought I was the only man in your life, I'm devastated." He says, humorously.  
  
Buffy throws a pillow at Dawn, but she misses. Buffy turns to Xander, "It not like that, it's just this guy, David, whom I met at the hospital, and we've become pretty friendly."  
  
"What you and I…" , Dawn points to herself & Xander, "… need to figure out is just _how_ friendly."  
  
"You nerd." She throws another pillow at Dawn, that hits this time.  
  
"So when do we get to meet this guy, David." asks Xander.  
  
"Um… I dunno, whenever you want I guess. He's doesn't get a lot of visitors, plus I've already told him about ya'll, and he wants to meet you all, too."  
  
"What have you told him about me?" asks Xander.  
  
"_Everything_." answers Dawn, " She's also told him everything about me, Willow, Giles, Anya… the whole kit'n caboodle. And also…"   
  
Buffy picks up another pillow, "Dawn! Do you want another?" she flippantly threatens Dawn.  
  
"If what Dawn says is true you must really like this guy, Buffy." says Xander.  
  
Buffy rolls her eyes, "The only thing, is that there are some things about him that are a little off."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Just a bunch of little things. I dunno, like sometimes he gets this like, blank look on his face, or he occasionally says something… it's just weird. And the other day I found he suffering from amnesia."  
  
"He has amnesia?" asks Dawn.  
  
"Yeah. And at first I thought, that explains the occasional blankness and why he didn't tell anything about himself. But then I was like, well why didn't he tell me about it? If he doesn't remember anything, then what's he hiding? I dunno…"  
  
"Have you talked to him about it?"   
  
"No, I haven't gone to see him since last week, when I found out."  
  
"Then you need to go see him, he probably thinks you're blowing him _off_." she says.  
  
"Well, I've been busy lately. They're been working me extra shifts at the Doublemeat. But I'll stop by the hospital later today. If you want we can all go on Friday, and ya'll can see him."  
  
"Totally. I'm dying to meet him."  
  
Buffy elbows Xander, "Maybe you can invite Anya?"  
  
"Yeah well, we'll see about that."  
  
"I can't wait to see him."  
  
"Oh wait ." says Buffy, "There is something I should warn you about before you _actually _see him…"  
  
```````````````  
  
Later that day…  
  
"Hey David." says the nurse, as she walks in the room to check on him.  
  
"Hey Alyssa, poke my toe!" he says, and she set down her files & pokes it.  
  
He winces but grins, "I felt that!"  
  
"I take it you leg therapy with Dr. Dillard went well today?"   
  
"Yeah, he used this stimulating contraption thing on my toe today, and it worked, it hurt like hell… but it worked!"  
  
"I'm so glad." she says.  
  
"Yeah, me too. I was getting kinda doubtful about my leg since we hadn't been making any progress. But now… I can feel my toe." he says, almost giddy.  
  
"But it hurts?"  
  
"Uh huh, but not as much at first, though. Now it's just sore. Kinda feels like I'm poking a bruise."  
  
"But the point is your feeling something now." Alyssa says.  
  
"Yeah." he beams.  
  
Suddenly, there's a know on the door, as it begins opening. It's Buffy.  
She walks in, "Hey."  
  
"Buffy." He says, slightly surprised.  
  
"Um, I can leave you two alone?" offers the nurse.  
  
"Thanks, Alyssa." He says, and she leaves.  
  
Buffy looks at him. "Hey poke my toe." he says, while pointing to it..  
  
She gives him a strange look, "Is this some sort of 'pull my finger' thing?"  
  
"No, just touch it."  
  
"Um, okay." She lightly dabs his toe.  
  
"I barely felt that." he says, "But the point is, I felt it."  
  
"Really. That great." she smiles, "Can you feel your whole leg?" she touches his cast.  
  
"Naw, not yet." he looks up at her, "So how've you been, you haven't come in like…"  
  
"Yeah, I've been kinda busy. Besides the whole 'toe revelation', how have you been doing?"   
  
"Pretty good."  
  
She nods & decides to get right to the point, "So David, last time you told me you'd tell me some of your stories…" she sits down, "Well?"  
  
"Uh…" say says nervously, "Heh, Heh… um okay."  
  
Buffy smiles at him composedly and waits, I've gotta see this…  
  
He sighs, "Well uh, there was this one time I told this girl I really liked, a fib."  
  
She shrugs, "Who hasn't?"  
  
"It wasn't really a lie, more like I was hiding something kinda important from her, and I think eventually she found out because she didn't really wanna hang out with me anymore or at least she wouldn't like before. Anyway I guess it kinda bummed me out."   
  
She looks at him warily, "You have amnesia?"  
  
"Yeah." he says.  
  
She sways her head to the side. "Nice story."  
  
"I'm sorry I never told you."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"I did want to but… I dunno. I guess I wanted you to know me first." He says.  
  
"I understand." Buffy says.  
  
He exhales. "That's a load of my chest."  
  
"So… you really like me, huh?"  
  
````````````````  
_  
"Hey Colin.", a man in his early twenties, nudges his friend, in a hallroom dinner party.   
"Yeah?", Colin answered.  
"Who is that?" he points to the brunette woman, on the other side of the room.  
"I believe that's Marie Cecily Parris."   
"She's beautiful." He stares at her.  
"I suppose she does have a nice set of breasts." Colin said, indifferently.  
"She's amazing." He continues to gaze at the lady, "Look at the way she walks, so gracefully."  
Colin gives his friend a look. "William? Snap out of it! You need to quit gawking at her, do you realize who she is? That's the Duke L'Toinette's niece. She's way out of you league."  
William doesn't seem to be paying attention, "What?"  
"Don't even consider thinking about courting her. She'll laugh right in your face."  
"But I don't think…"  
"Just drop it, William, okay? Why don't you go for the daughter of a blacksmith or something?"  
"You're right, I dunno what I was thinking." He said and looked down dejectedly. Then continued to go about with his business. But he kept on stealing glances at her every so often.  
  
_


	11. Friday

  
  
Ch 11. Friday  
  
  
It's Friday, the day for the guys to finally meet David. It's in the afternoon & Buffy, Dawn, Anya and Xander are at the hospital outside David's room.  
  
  
"Okay, here we are…" Buffy says, " You guys are gonna meet David." she looks at them meekly and stands there for a long while.  
  
Dawn looks at her impatiently, "Well what are you waiting for? Open the door and lets go in!"  
  
Buffy bites her bottom lip & pauses, "I dunno, Dawn. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."  
  
"What are you talking about?", she turns to Xander, "Make her hurry up!"  
  
"Buffy, what's wrong?" he asks.  
  
"I'm just, I'm nervous."  
  
"Why? We're just meeting a guy. It's not like were putting forth vengeance on him." says Anya.  
  
"I don't know, I just have this weird…"  
  
Dawn interrupts her, "Buffy quit being such a baby! I've been looking forward to meeting this guy all week and I'm going in now, with or without you!", she moves her sister aside and briskly opens the door & walks in.  
  
He looks up at her. "Hey there."  
  
Dawn just stands there stunned and gasps, "Oh my God, Spike!"  
  
Buffy quickly runs in the room, as Xander & Anya follow her. "Dawn it's not…"  
  
"Spike?!" Xander points at him. "What the hell are you doing back!" he says angrily.  
"Well this is interesting. I though we we're supposed to meeting David, not Spike." says Anya.   
  
"When the hell did you come back! And what hell are you doing here in a hospital, where they treat people!" Xander continues yelling at him.  
  
Buffy slightly pushes him back, "Xander, wait…"  
  
He looks at them all, baffled. "I _am _David." he says soft-spoken. "Uh Buffy I'm a little confused…"  
  
"I… I know I'm sorry about this, hold on…" she turns towards the others and pulls them all outside back to the hallway, while closing the door behind her.   
  
"Buffy, what the hell is this!" says Xander  
  
"Xander, Xander! Chill, okay? First you need to calm down & stop saying 'what the hell'." she says.   
  
He takes a deep breath, "Fine, but can you please explain this."  
  
"There's nothing to explain. That guy in there isn't Spike, he's David. You all do remember David, right? The guy you came up to meet?"  
  
"C'mon just take one look at that guy!"  
  
"Xander, I _have _seen him, ya know. I'm aware that he looks like Spike. I even warned you guys he did, remember?" she says.  
  
"No what you said was that he slightly resembled him, not that he was the same person." he says abruptly.  
  
"He's not the same person!" she says frantically.  
  
"Wait a minute, _I _didn't get a warning." says Anya.  
  
"Well you weren't there when she mentioned…"   
  
"Okay can ya'll shut up and listen to me." she interrupts them. They all look at her.  
  
"Thank you. Okay now, you all need to get this through your heads. That guy in there, David, is not Spike. He _looks _like Spike, he even kinda talks like him, but he's _not _him. He's just a normal guy, a _human _guy, complete with a pulse and everything. Not a vampire. Okay?" she says, as if she was talking to preschoolers.   
  
"So he's not Spike?" says Anya.  
  
Buffy looks at her mind-numbingly. "Right." She sighs, "Look you guys David is a really nice guy I like, and he doesn't know you guys, except with what I've told him, and he doesn't even know who _Spike _is. And with the way you all reacted when you saw him, especially you Xander, you've probably _really _freaked him out."  
  
Xander looks down, and then up to her. "I'm sorry, Buff. It's just… I have a lot of anger towards Spike and… seeing his face again or a face similar to his, just really got me you know, 'ahh'. I'm sorry." he hugs her.   
  
"It's okay." she says. She looks over towards his sister, who hasn't yet said anything. "Dawn, are you okay?"  
  
"Buffy, are you sure?" she says thoughtfully. "I mean are you, really? He looks so much like him."  
  
She thinks for a minute. "Actually… yes. I am 100% sure. Okay I'll admit, I thought it was Spike too when I saw him. But he's _human_, he's David Schroeder and he's human. Trust me it's legit."   
  
Dawn nods, "Okay."  
  
"Okay." Buffy smiles with relief. "Are you ready to go back in?"  
  
---------------------  
  
Well, uh that was weird.  
The minute the girl walked in, I immediately knew it was Dawn. She was exactly how I had pictured her.  
She had that innocence to her face and she did bear a resemblance to Buffy. But then…  
It reminded of the first time I met Buffy. When she walked in and saw me. She had the exact same expression on her face, like a look of surprise & utter shock & slightly upset all mixed in. She said I was… Spike.   
Spike? That was the same name Buffy had called me. _Spike_, that's an unusual name…  
Buffy never really told me about him, but didn't she mention that he had hurt her? Or something like that. That must be why that other guy who walked in started yelling at me. He's definitely had to be Xander. He seemed pretty mad. And since Buffy said Willow was in London, the other girl was probably Anya.  
They all looked so upset. They must really dislike this Spike-character, and I must _really _look like him.  
Well, uh that's kinda weird.  
  



	12. Looky

  
A.N. It took awhile but looky! a new chappy! Thanks, a million thanks to everyone who've reviewed. i love reviews. this a pretty long chapter, for the people who wanted them longer so there ya go. hope you like it :) plz keep reviewing, & i'll try to update soon, again. laterz...  
  
  
  
Ch 12. Look-alike  
  
  
The guys all go back in David's room and Buffy formally introduces them.  
  
"David, this is Dawn..."  
  
Dawn quickly looks at him.  
  
"…This is Xander…"  
  
"Hey man. How's it goin'?" says Xander, and shakes his hand.  
  
"…And this is Anya." finishes Buffy.  
  
"Hello." she says.  
  
They all start out with small talk, and try their best to forget what just happened. Buffy sits down on a chair next to David's bed and holds his hand, while they're all talking. Xander actually seems to be getting along pretty well with David, and after awhile talking he appears to have forgotten he looks like Spike. While, Dawn stands in the corner not saying much.  
  
"So Buffy tells me you work in construction?"   
  
"Yeah, well unlike these kids who went to college, I stayed behind in my parents basement. I just took the job 'cause I needed money, but it's worked out pretty well for me. Not much brain use necessary." says Xander.  
  
"But I assume a lot of body strength. You must really work your arms?" says David.  
  
"Well, mostly my legs, you know how they say 'lift from you knees' Yeah, they come in handy?"   
  
"Yeah…"  
  
Buffy looks at him slightly. "David injured his right leg in the accident, and he can't move or feel it."  
  
"Oh yeah I see." Xander gestures towards the cast.  
  
"I can feel my toe." he says, optimistically.  
  
"Is that right?"  
  
"How can someone not feel their leg?" Anya interposes.  
  
"I dunno… I just can't." he answers.  
  
"So you can't feel your leg?" she says.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"But you _can _feel other parts of your body like your arms?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Anya pokes the heel of his foot, "But you can't feel that?"  
  
"No."  
  
She pokes his toe. "But you _can _feel that?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"That's quite confusing." she says.  
  
"Okay, Anya you can quit poking David now." says Buffy, as he lightly chuckles.  
  
"Anyway it's time we better go." says Xander.  
  
'Yeah, we should." Dawn says quickly.  
  
"Oh, she speaks." David says, then smiles at her, but she looks away & doesn't answer. "Right then."  
  
Buffy looks at Dawn & turns to Xander, "Why do ya'll go, and I'll stay awhile longer."  
  
"Sure." he says. They all say goodbye, except for Dawn who still says nothing, and leave. Buffy watches them go and then directs her attention towards David. "So what ya think of them?" she asks.  
  
"Uh, they seem like nice people. I really like them."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good." she says.  
  
"Dawn's doesn't talk much, huh?"  
  
"No it's just … she's being weird today."  
  
"Are you sure? I uh… got the feeling she didn't like me."  
  
"No, no. Of course she likes you."   
  
His eyes doubt her. "Don't patronize me." he says.  
  
"Really she does." Buffy insists.  
  
He rolls his eyes up.   
  
"Well she should. You're great guy."  
  
David smiles faintly, but then looks down, "Is it because I look like that guy… Spike?  
  
"What?"  
  
"Spike, you know the guy you all confuse me with?"  
  
"Spike?" she says, uneasily.  
  
"Uh huh." he says.  
  
"Um… what was the question again?"  
  
"Nothin' I guess I was just wondering about him."  
  
"About Spike?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean… I obviously look like him. And you haven't ever told me about him."  
  
"Uh…" she rubs her forehead, "…You wanna know about him?"   
  
"Well kinda, I'm curious. I mean was he an ex-boyfriend or something?"  
  
She grimaces. "Not…really."  
  
"You don't have to tell me everything, just... y'know briefly fill me in?" he says.  
  
Buffy still doesn't say anything. He watches her & sighs. "Nevermind, if you don't want to that's okay."  
  
"No… I mean. Yeah okay, I'll tell you about him. With people mistaking you for him, you _do _deserve to know something about him, so here goes…" she takes a deep breath, "Spike was this guy, um… who I met a couple years back. And uh, he was sort of a 'bad boy' and we didn't exactly get along. Well we kind of hated each other, really. Then he left. And then he came back. And then they captured him. And then…"  
  
"Wait they captured him? Who's 'they'." he interrupts.  
  
"They would be… the police." she stammers. "Yeah um, Spike had a couple run-ins with the law, & with his… probation, he… couldn't do anything bad anymore. So he just started hanging out with us, because uh-  
he was a loser who didn't have any other friends. Yeah. Anyway after awhile he kinda started to like me in this really weird, _obsessive _way. He even got this sex robot thingy that…" she realizes what she just said & stops.  
  
David gives her a funny look. "Sex Robot?"  
  
"I… didn't say that."  
  
"You didn't? Well then what'd ya say?"   
  
Buffy ignores him, "…Yeah, um anyway.. um then I left, for awhile and then I came back. And during that time when I came back I was really depressed and just apathetic. And me & him started fooling around a couple times. I guess, he thought it _meant _something, I dunno…" she rolls her eyes, "…he said that he loved me but, I knew that I didn't. What we had wasn't love it was… " she breaks it off. " Anyway, I ended up terminating it. Then later well um, let's just say he did something… bad."  
  
David, who has been listening intently, leans back, "Bad?"  
  
"Well you know more than just bad."  
  
"What was it?"  
  
She looks at him and softly shakes her head in a 'don't ask' manner.  
  
"Okay." he says  
  
"Then he left again & I haven't seen him since." she finishes.  
  
"Well uh… I don't know what to say… uh thanks for telling me. It cleared some things up."  
  
She nods, "Good." There's a moment of silence  
  
"Ugh, the mood in here's gone murky. Gotta change that. Gotta make it light'n happy. Tell me something light'n happy." she says, breaking the silence.  
  
"Uh, well I don't know if it's light'n happy, but uh tomorrow I have another session with Dr. Dillard. Maybe I get to feel other parts of my foot?"  
  
"Sure, that light'n happy. That's great, actually."  
  
"Yeah I always look forward to meeting with him. Unlike Dr. Tilberg & Dr. Blanco, whom I always dread meeting with."   
  
"The people treating you for the amnesia?"  
  
"God, they're irritated, probably as much as I do them."  
  
"Have you remembered anything?"  
  
"Not a damn thing."  
  
"Aww poo."  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"Well it'll come." she says.  
He shrugs.  
  
"Well, I should probably leave now, It's getting late & Dawn's at home waiting so…"  
  
"I'll see ya around." he says.  
  
She gives him a hug goodbye, "Get some sleep. Later."   
  
"Bye."  
  
`````````````  
  
_How could she do this to me? How could she be so cruel? So thoughtless?  
She could have just said no, she didn't have to kick me when I'm down. But I'm a fool anyway… I should have seen it coming. I should have…  
  
"And I wonder... what possible catastrophe came crashing down from heaven and brought this dashing stranger to tears?" he heard a voice behind him.  
  
He turned around and saw a dark figure. A woman. "Nothing. I wish to be alone." He answered.  
  
"Oh, I see you. A man surrounded by fools who cannot see his strength, his vision, his glory. That and burning baby fish swimming all around your head."  
  
Who is this stranger? What does she want from me?, he thought to himself, while he backs away.  
"That's quite close enough. I've heard tales of London pickpockets. You'll not be getting my purse, I tell you."  
  
He sees a glare in the darkness, & catches her smiling mischievously.   
"Don't need a purse." she said, she points to his heart and head in succession. "Your wealth lies here... and here. In the spirit and... imagination. You walk in worlds the others can't begin to imagine."  
  
"Oh, yes!" he replied quickly then stops himself. " I mean, no. I mean... mother's expecting me."  
  
The woman opens the collar of his shirt, and he is intrigued.  
"I see what you want. Something glowing and glistening. Something... effulgent." She whispers in his ear.  
  
"Effulgent?" He stuttered. This is something about this that fascinates him. This could change him forever.  
  
"Do you want it?" she looked at him seductively.  
  
Oh yes! God yes…  
He lets himself be taken in._  



	13. Kiss

  
A.N. I'm back!! Yeah, I know it's been a long while, but I got busy & then I went in a writing slump, but I got a new chapter here so, yeah. I've already started on the next one so it'll be up in a couple days. As usual hope you like it, plz review, & have a super day :)  
  
  
  
Ch 13. Kiss  
  
  
"Okay David, today we have brought in Dr. Kassian, he's a specialist who's gonna work with us today on your amnesia. We're going to try hypnosis on you today." says Dr. Tilberg.  
  
"Okay." he nods along, feeling unpleasantly cold in a room full of doctors .  
  
"Hello there, David. I'm looking to possibly making some progress today on your case." says Dr. Kassian. "Now I want you to lean back and relax, close your eyes."  
  
"Alright." he eases up his body a little, leans back & shuts his eyes.   
  
"Okay, now untighten every tense muscle in your body."  
  
"Mm hmm."  
  
"Just sink into your body, as I count backwards. Five, four, three, two…"  
  
  
On hour later…  
  
"Thank you for your time today, Dr. Kassian." says Dr. Tilberg.  
  
"Sure, maybe whenever I stop again by we'll have more progressing results."  
  
"Yes. Well, we'll see you Saturday at he medical conventi…"  
  
David zones out of their conversation. _Well that was a total bust…_  
  
`````````````  
  
Later that day, it just David & Buffy just chillin in his room.  
  
"So nothing?" she says.  
  
"Nada." he replies.  
  
"I've always wondered what its like under hypnosis. I see it on tv sometimes, where the guy makes a person act like fool, it's pretty funny. This one time they made a girl think he was Brad Pitt and she was all freaking out…" Buffy rambles on.  
  
He just smiles at her.  
  
"What?" she stops. He shakes his head.  
  
"Whatcha thinkin?"  
  
He shrugs, "Nothin."  
  
"Naw, you're thinking _something_. Tell me."  
  
David shakes his head, "I don't wanna."  
  
"Ugh, why not?"  
  
He pauses, "Cuz' I'm too shy."  
  
"Just tell me." she pouts, "Please?"  
  
"Alright," he says, "I was thinkin' that if _I _was Batman… I would have totally hooked up with Catwoman. I mean she was hot."  
  
"Um…okay?"  
  
"Yeah, and I would've dumped Robin behind a long time ago."  
  
She smiles at him, "You're silly."  
  
He pauses for a second. "Actually, what I was really thinking is that I wanna kiss you."   
  
She stays quiet, & blushes slightly, "Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah, and I was also thinking how I was going to manage to do that considering I can't get up."   
  
"Well…" she gets up & sits closer on his bed, "Does that help?"  
  
"Yeah, kinda." He says in a lower voice, as he strokes her face and kisses her softly. She pulls back for a second, as he looks into her eyes with a newfound passion. She kisses him back, this time with a little more zest. After a while, they both slowly back away.  
"Well, uh…?" she practically whispers, "That was um… nice."  
  
"Yeah, it was."  
  
"I have to go, but I don't want to." she says, still whispering.  
  
"Then don't."  
  
"They have visiting hours…"  
  
"We'll hide you."  
  
"Where would I sleep?"  
  
David looks at the bed suggestively.   
  
She laughs, and slaps his arm, "I don't think so…besides I can't leave Dawn by herself.  
  
"Yeah…okay. It was worth a shot."  
  
"I'll come back tomorrow. But it'll be earlier than usual because I've got double duty at Doublemeat."  
  
"Alright."  
  
She kisses him again. "Bye."  
  
`````````````  
_  
"My Angel, darling. I want you to meet someone…" , Drusilla pulls a shy, meager fellow towards him. "This is William, my new little treasure. I made him, just yesterday… all on my own. He's my first."   
  
William looks up at him. A tall, broad man whose deep eyes stare down at him like he's a child. Like his father always would…  
  
"Hmm, well you certainly picked a good one..." Angelus says, sarcastically.   
  
"Aww, don't be too quick to dismiss him Angel… he's not that bad." , a blonde classy-looking woman walks up from behind him.  
  
"Come on Darla, he's weak looking. Too naïve. And sweet."  
  
"If I remember correctly, you were too." she teases.  
  
"Pffft! I was strong. And I was always up for a challenge. Still am."   
  
"Well maybe he is too. Give him a chance."   
  
Meanwhile, Drusilla runs her long fingers up and down William's spine, sending him chills.   
"Don't worry my pet, mummy's gonna take good care of you. And when I'm done, you'll roam this earth like its your to rule. Others will know who you are. For now you're mine, but you'll be eminent.   
  
"Yeah…" William says, growing more self-assured. "Yeah, I can do it. I can be-"  
  
"Don't get too confident, there." Angelus interrupts him, abrasively. "Hate to burst you little bubble, but 'eres a long road ahead a ya. You've got a lot to learn, boy." _  
  
  
  
  



	14. Tell

  
  
Ch 14. Tell   
  
  
  
"Hey Dawny, how was your day?" Buffy says cheerily, as she comes in.  
  
"Fine." Dawn looks up at her sister, "Yours?"  
  
"Good, it was good." she heads over to the kitchen.  
  
"You look um, happy?'  
  
"Yeah…yeah, well I just came from the hospital."  
  
"Oh well that explains it. You saw David."  
  
"Yep…" Buffy says, as she opens the fridge & pulls out a carton of milk. "Do you mind if I drink the rest of what's left?"  
  
Dawn nods that it's okay, and she watches Buffy gulp down the whole thing. After Buffy's made sure that there's absolutely nothing left, she sets it down on the counter & exhales loudly. "David kissed me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"He kissed me…" she repeats herself, "…today, at the hospital."  
  
"Well, uh that's great. That's really great." Dawn says, somewhat indifferently. " I'm glad to see you happy."  
  
"Yeah, I really am." she smiles slightly, "I mean I'm not like super ecstatic, the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music happy, but you know…" she shrugs, in a gesture.  
  
"I think so."  
  
"I just, I really enjoy this feeling of something new, and fresh, and _normal… _I guess."  
  
"Buffy…"  
  
"And David's a really sweet guy. Granted maybe it's not _absolutely _normal, he does live in a hospital & has no memory whatsoever about his past. But when you talk to him, its like you even don't notice those things. He doesn't act like a patient, he doesn't let those things hold him back… does that make sense?"  
  
"Yeah. Kinda…" Dawn says, kinda offhandedly.  
  
Buffy studies her little sister, "You don't like him, do you?"  
  
"No, no… I uh, like him."  
  
"Do you really?"  
  
"It's not that I don't like him, it's just…I guess I'm not over the fact that David, well you know, looks just like Spike. He could be like the same guy."  
  
"But Dawn, I've already told you tha--"  
  
"Yeah, I know. I know. But I'm sorry, I know it's farfetched, but I just can't help thinking that maybe he really _is _Spike."  
  
Buffy turned away from her sister. Maybe Dawn wasn't thinking logically, but maybe it she makes some sort of sense. Buffy felt torn, in that a part of her thought the same, but another was so sure that it wasn't . It was like if she believed that it would make her naïve, but at wasn't she being naïve in thinking that is wasn't at all possible. No. I can't torture myself in scrutinizes thing whole thing & complicating things that could be so simple & normal, if I just drop this.   
  
"But it's not." she finally says, _God why she can't see that?_  
  
Dawn doesn't say anything.  
  
_So David looks like Spike, big deal…_   
"How about this?" Buffy tries to reason, "Since I obviously cannot convince you that David is not Spike, then go ahead & think it if you want, okay? But give him a chance as _David_. Because that is who he is, whether you want to believe it or not."  
  
"Um, yeah… okay." Dawn brushes her hair back, "Yeah. I guess." she finally gives in.   
  
"Thank you."  
  
"And I'm sorry if I've been annoying about this. I'll just try to just treat him like any other guy, that you're dating."   
Buffy walks over & hugs her and pecks her on her forehead. "You know, it's really important to me that you like him. Your opinion matters to me. That's why you need to get to know him."  
  
"So you're saying that if I ended up not liking him, you would quit seeing him?" Dawn asks.  
  
"Well, no." she says it like duh, and Dawn laughs lightly.  
  
"Besides, I dunno if we're _dating_, exactly. I mean it's not like we've gone out anywhere together beside the hospital."  
  
Back at the hospital…  
  
"David…?"   
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Guess what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Guess!"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Come on…" she pleads with him.  
  
He shrugs, "You cut your hair?"  
  
"No. Why… does it look shorter?" Nurse Alyssa pulls out a compact mirror out of her pocket, & checks herself.  
  
"No it doesn't, I was just…" he watches her adjust her hair, "…guessing _anything…_" David says, but she's not   
paying attention anymore. "_Alyssa…_"  
  
"It looks bad, doesn't it? I didn't have time to blow dry it this morning & when I…" she begins rambling.  
  
"Alyssa!" David interrupts her. "It looks fine, okay? Really, it does."  
  
"_Alright_."  
  
"Now, what were you gonna tell me?"  
  
"I forgot."  
  
"Nuh uh."  
  
"Yeah huh."  
  
"You forgot?"  
  
"Neh." Alyssa smiles sheepishly at him. "Okay, you know how you're always going on about how bored you get here at the hospital. I mean when you're not working with the doctors, you don't really do much…"  
  
"Not really, I have the tv. There's no cable, but lately I've been watching _Passions_, its pretty interesting. Tomorrow, Ethan finds out about what really happened to Theresa … "  
  
"No, no… but weren't you telling me the other day that sometimes you feel claustrophobic stuck all day here in theses same four walls?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Well, I asked the head nurse and she says that with the doctors permission, you are able to check yourself in & out of the hospital." she says.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, but there are only certain times your allowed to leave, kinda like visiting hours. And since you can't walk yet, you'll have your very own specialized wheelchair assigned. No more of these smelly ones we use to take you form room to room."  
  
"Thanks, you're the best."  
  
"Well, you're very welcome."   
  
"I really appreciate it."  
  
"It's no prob. Anything for my favorite patient."  
  
"Meeee..."   
  
"Well…" she sits down and pulls out her database, "Better start doing my job." she begins writing stuff down.  
"You've been feeling pretty good, right? No more headaches?"  
  
"I'm good."  
  
"And your leg?"   
  
"About the same. But I'm progressing, slowly. Dr. Dillard's helping and uh, now I can wiggle my toes!" David answers.  
  
"Uh huh, that's great." she continues writing.  
  
"Except for the pinky… can't move that yet."  
  
"Okay, now I'm gonna take you temperature." Alyssa pulls out a thermometer.  
  
"…Damn that pinky."  
  
She smiles & shakes her head at him, while she clicks the thermometer in his ear and then checks it. "Normal."   
  
"Dandy." he says.  
  
"So…when are you gonna tell me about that kiss with Buffy?"  
  
"What?" he chokes with his own saliva, surprised. "How do you know about that?"  
  
"Well I saw it."  
He just looks at her funny. "Okay I walked in…" she explains herself, "…and saw ya'll two kissing & I didn't want to interrupt so I left quietly. And you were so _swept away_ in it, you didn't notice me."  
  
"Ah."   
  
"Well?"  
  
"Mmm…" he leans back, "…I'm not really one to kiss and tell."  
  
"Come on, tell me."  
  
"Neh."  
  
"You have to!… I'm like your best friend. Well more like your only friend."  
  
"Hey! You're not my _only _friend. Um… I've got Buffy…"  
  
"Nah, you _kiss _Buffy. You don't kiss friends, you kiss _girlfriends…_" she teases him.  
  
"Well… Buffy isn't really my _girlfriend_. Not that I wouldn't want her to be, I mean she's great. And well I'm just some guy hospital, who can't wiggle his pinky."   
  
Alyssa rolls her eyes, "You're so cute."  
  
"I know." He sighs, playfully.  
  
"So come on, was it like planned or just spur of the moment? And, and was it soft & sweet, or more like raw, passionate like?"  
  
"Mmm…" he thinks about it, "All of that."  
  
"Wow." she sighs, "I _really _need a man."  
  
"Maybe I can hook you up?"  
  
"With who?"  
  
"I dunno…ooh, Buffy has a friend named Xander?"  
  
"Nah, that's okay. I find me one, myself." She gets up, about to leave.  
  
"Hey Alyssa…", he stops her.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"…Well uh, I kinda wanna tell you something."  
  
"Sure, what is it?"  
  
"But the thing I'm not sure if I should."  
  
"Ugh, don't start with the whole, 'I have a secret, but I'm not saying what', 'cuz I hate it when people do that."  
  
"It's not like that. It's probably not a big deal, not even worth mentioning…" he sees her getting a look of 'just freakin' tell me!' & he continues, "Alright, but just do me a favor & not tell the doctors about it…especially someone like Dr. Tilberg."  
  
"Okay now you're getting me kinda worried, what's this about?"  
  
"Well for awhile now I've been having these really weird, _vivid _dreams…"  



	15. Arrival

  
  
A.N. Yep, I'm alive...lol. I hope ppl haven;t forgotten about this story. It's been like a little over two months since my last chapter. _Sorry. _But here's a new on. I hope you like it. Also a couple of people have commented about ch. 4 where the doctors are describing David's profile (eye color, weight, height, etc.) and how it was off. Well the thing was that, that day I was just totally guessing so that why it was wrong.   
I went back and changed it (i hope it right this time).   
So again hope you like this chappy, plz review! & tanks :)  
  
  
Ch 15. Arrival   
  
  
A few days later…  
  
It's late at night, Buffy's walking home from work. She stops.   
As she turns around, she hears a woman scream and runs to see what it is.  
  
She sees a vampire attacking a woman. Buffy pulls him off her and begins fighting with him. He throws her down, and she jumps back up a kicks his face. After a few minutes of combating with the vampire, she turns him over and stakes him. She exhales, and begins going on her way.  
  
The woman cries behind her. "Oh my God, that was incredible! How did you do that, he was so strong?"  
  
"I know stuff." she says.  
  
"But I work out and exercise regularly, and I couldn't even get in a good punch."  
  
Buffy just shrugs, and starts walking away.  
  
"What was he, anyway?"  
  
"Just… some freak, I guess."  
  
"I'll say. Hey, listen my name's Veronica Salinger, I'm swing manager at the local rec. center. We have some self defense courses we're opening up & looking for instructors. Are you interested?" the lady says.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You could lead some self protection classes."  
  
"You're offering me a job?" Buffy says surprised at what going on.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But I mean, you just met me. Doesn't their need to be like some kind of long training period before you appoint someone to teach a self defense class?  
  
"Well from I just saw, you already know your stuff." Mrs. Salinger says.  
  
"Uh, I don't know what to say…"  
  
"Say you'll consider it." Mrs. Salinger hands her a card, "There's my number. Call me, I think I could definitely use you. The pay is alright, but the hours are convenient."  
  
"Um okay." Buffy nods, "I'll call you."   
  
`````````````  
  
Back at the hospital, Spike pulls the cord to close the drapes. The full moon was out tonight, but he didn't care too much for it. He just kept the window showing during the sunlight; he liked it better   
A few minutes later a forty something year old nurse walks in.   
  
"Hello…" she looks at her file, "…uh David, is it?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm Vivian. Let me just check over you quickly."  
  
He looks at her. "Um, where's Alyssa?"  
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
"Alyssa, the regular room-nurse. She wasn't here earlier this morning either."  
  
"I don't know. They just send me down wherever I'm needed."  
  
"Cuz' I haven't seen her in a couple days. Well I mean she usually just gets Sunday and Monday off. But she should've been back today. So I guess maybe she's sick. Do you know if she called in sick?" he asks.  
  
"Like I said, I don't know. They just told me to come down here today, so I did." she says sharply.  
  
He just nods, and doesn't say anything as she takes his temperature and examines him. She takes his blood pressure, and he takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes tightly.   
  
"Alright. We're done." she says, "You have a session early tomorrow morning with Dr. Tilberg."  
  
"Can you give me sedative?" he says quickly. She eyes him particularly.   
  
"To sleep." he says.  
  
"You have insomnia?"  
  
"Well uh, not really. But um… so I'll be well rested for tomorrow's session."  
  
She thinks about it for a minute. "Alright. I'll bring you one in a minute."  
  
`````````````  
  
Buffy arrives home. She quietly opens the door, and hangs her coat up before pulling the card out of the pocket. She looks at the it again. Hmmm, this could work…  
As she turns around, Willow pops up from behind her.  
  
"Oh my God, Willow!" she's taken aback, as Willow just smiles and raises her left eyebrow slightly.   
  
"You're evil." Buffy says quickly.  
  
A look of the old, innocent Willow from back in high school sweeps across her face.   
"No, no I'm not. Evil that is. I'm just… me. I uh, just got back."  
  
"Oh my God, Willow!" Buffy says again, this time with more delight in her voice, as she hugs her friend.   
"You're back."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"How was the trip over?"  
  
"Was fine. I slept most of the time."  
  
"So, how are you doing?"  
  
"Good, I'm… I'm doing good." Willow nods along.  
  
"And uh, you okay with the magic?"  
  
"Yeah, um the whole experience back in England really helped me. It was like rehab. But um, yeah it helped m see a lot of things. I learned a lot, grieved and grew. I know now that magic wasn't something I could just quit cold turkey, or at all even. It's a part of me. And I just need to know how to keep it under control. And like what this guy Aster said to be like the turtle in the pond who flips over and uh, God, now I'm just rambling. I'm gonna stop."  
  
"No it's fine. Well, that's great, Will." Buffy looks down at her bags, "But um, why didn't you call and tell us, we could've picked you up from the airport?"  
  
"I guess, I couldn't really bring myself to just call up and say 'Hey it me, remember the Willow who went psycho and tried to destroy the world, we'll I'm better, so come pick me up'."   
  
Buffy smiles. "Plus a surprise is nice."  
  
"I thought so too."  
  
"So, you came alone?" Buffy asks.  
  
"Yeah, Giles is gonna stay in England."  
  
"I see." she says, somewhat disappointedly, but she shakes it off. "Well that's okay, _you're _here, so I'm glad." she hugs her again. "Does Xander know you're back?"  
  
"Naw, you're the first one to see me." Willow says.  
  
"I better call him up & tell him. He'll be so happy."  
Willow grabs her things, and they walk over to the living room, and sit down.   
  
"Where's Dawny?"  
  
"Oh, she's over Janice's for the night. But she have a nice surprise in the morning."  
  
Willow smiles. "Hey listen…" Buffy says, "…why don't we go make some coffee or something & then we can sit down and talk. God, we have _a lot_ of catching up to do."  
  
```````````````  
_"Ooh, this is so exciting. "  
  
"Well Make it easy, this is his first time. A simple schoolgirl will do." He looks over at William, "Or a nun. And just make ye sure he doesn't go off and sire somebody yet. He's still too young for that."  
  
"Wait a minute, too young? I'll have you know I turn thirty in the fall." William says. "If anything you look younger than me." he says to Angel.  
  
"You don't get it." Angel responds. "It doesn't matter how old you were when you died, when you were transformed you were born again. You're really only a mere couple days old."   
  
Drusilla nods. "A babe needs to learn to crawl before he can fly."   
  
"Oh."  
  
"So…are you ready darling?"   
  
The both of them begin making there way down the street, looking for his first victim. She taps his shoulder. "There. You see?" Drusilla points towards a slightly plump middle-age peasant woman.   
  
"I can do better." He says pretentiously.   
  
"As you wish."   
  
They continue on, when William notices someone at the corner of his eye. Cecily.  
And she's talking to someone. He's handsome. And refined, and dressed well. William immediately hates him. He watches Cecily as she laughs flirtatiously with the man. I guess I wasn't good enough for that laugh.  
But who says he is?  
  
"Him." He turns to Drusilla.   
  
"Alright. Go for it." she says.  
  
He goes ahead, and waits til the man is alone. He feels like a hunter going after his prey. This is his first time, but it like he knows exactly what to do. When the time is perfect…  
He game face appears, and without a second thought he sinks his teeth into his foe's neck.   
Gulping, gulping, gulping down the thick, rich blood. The life. He's drinking life. Wow, this is the greatest feeling in the world. Power and control all rushing through my bones. For the first time he feels alive.  
William makes sure to drink every last drop, and then he just drops the body on the floor. He looks up at Drusilla, who's wearing a proud smile on her face.  
  
"You did it. You've arrived."_  
  
  
  



	16. Missing

  
  
  
Ch 16. Missing   
  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey." Buffy says, as she walks into David's hospital room. It had been a little over a week since Willow's arrival. She walks up to him and gives him a quick peck on the lips. "What's up."  
  
"Same dilly." He says, unenthusiastically.  
  
"Oh. I guess so, not much change in a hospital room." she smiles, but gets no reaction from him.   
"Is something wrong?"   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, no nothing's wrong. I guess I'm just a little tired."  
  
"Do you want me to go then?"  
  
"Please don't." he takes a deep breath. "I guess there is this one thing bothering' me…"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's Alyssa."  
  
"The room nurse?"  
  
"She's been missing for a little over a week."  
  
"Missing?"  
  
"Well, I don't know if she missing exactly, but she hasn't been in. And the other nurses won't tell me anything, they just say that they don't know…I guess I just a little worried about her."   
  
Buffy stays quiet. He looks up at her.  
  
"Oh, but please don't let me get you down. You came in all smiles and perky and now…just forget about it, okay. It's no big deal. She's probably just under the weather or something."  
  
"Okay."  
  
He smiles at her. "So what's up with you?"  
  
"Um, well I start that new job I was telling you about at the rec. center tomorrow."  
  
"That's great."  
  
"Yeah, I know. You have no idea have glad I am that I'll never again have to say 'you want fries with that?'. The pay's not so great, but the hours are way better and it doesn't involve any type of grease whatsoever. And you know it a good thing, teaching a self defense class. Maybe it could help some people."  
  
"I'm really happy for you."   
  
"Thanks." she smiles.  
  
"So how's Willow adjusting to being back?"  
  
"Good." she nods, "You should have seen it when Xander saw her. Gave her a huge bear hug for like an hour. She's doing a lot better. Everybody seems to be, it great."   
  
"Yeah?" his eyes shift to the side, "I wanna meet her."  
  
"Sure. Okay well I'll bring her by sometime. She wants to meet you, too."  
  
David looks surprised, "Really?"  
  
"Why wouldn't she?"  
  
"Well I mean, does she even know who I am?"  
  
"Of course, I talk about you all the time." Buffy stops, realizing what she said.  
  
"Really?" he says again.  
  
"Um… sometimes."  
  
"Well, what do you say about me?"  
  
"Just stuff."  
  
"Like…?"  
  
"Stuff girls tell their friends but not their potential guys, okay?" she says flatly.  
  
"Okay, I got it." He smiles, playfully. "Ooh, I'm a potential guy."   
  
"_Anyway_..." Buffy says, changing the subject."So is the whole thing set up for you to go out on Saturday?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty much. It would've been sooner, but Alyssa was the one arranging it and you know she's not here…" he looks down, "But yeah, at eleven I check myself out. And I just have to come back at five."  
  
"So yay, I get ya for six whole hours outta this room."  
  
"Yeah you have no idea how glad I am to leave this room for awhile."   
  
"You can come over my house and meet Willow. Um, then we can go places, like The Bronze. It'll be fun."  
  
""I just hope I won't like hold ya back. I mean I'll still have to be in a wheelchair."  
  
"It'll be fine. Besides you been making a lot of progress right? Pretty soon you won't need it."  
  
"Yeah. Can't wait til that day."  
  
"I can't wait til Saturday, but I have to go now." she says.  
  
She hugs him and kisses him quickly. David gently tugs her back. "No wait, you gotta gimme more than that." He gives her a real kiss, one that's not so quick. Their breaths are intertwined, as he slowly pulls away.  
"Much better."  
  
"Oh yeah." she smiles.  
  
```````````````  
  
_"You know Dru, I've been thinking…"  
  
"What is it, William? What have you been thinking? What sorts of notions have been floating in the pool of thoughts inside your glorious head?"  
  
"Well, its just I've thought about it and William kinda sounds like a wimpy name. Doncha' think?  
And what I need is a names that strikes fear in the hearts of men, you know?"  
  
"You don't like William the Bloody?"  
  
"It's just I don't know yet. Thinkin' maybe something like Thor? Or Night Vader?"  
  
Darla comes in chuckling slightly, from behind the drapes, " No I don't think so…Thor gives you the impression that the person is large, which you are not. And Night Vader is a tad on the corny side."  
  
"Well then, what? I can't think of anything."  
  
"Don't over think it, though. A name can sometimes be what define a person, but mostly just be the words written on their tombstone."  
  
He thinks for a moment, "They didn't write much on my tombstone. It just said my name & the day I was born til the day I died, same goes for my obituary. I mean, I would have liked them to put something like he was a good bloke, a decent worker, aspiring poet or something. But nope…"  
  
"That's right, you were a poet?" she says.  
  
"Well not really a poet, per say, but I did write a few."  
  
"And people hated them. Right?" she says, tauntingly.  
  
"Well I didn't have too many fans."  
  
"I think I once heard them being referred to as worse than being tortured by railroad spikes, or people would rather be tortured by railroad spikes, something like that?"  
  
"Well, what did they know." he mutters, "Besides… they got their wish. Isn't that right Druscilla?"  
  
She beams weakly, "Me and my boy had a little party with some sharp, sharp spikes down by the railroad crossings with a few of his critics. It got a little bloody. It was fun."   
  
"Spikes, huh? Sounds like fun." Darla says.  
  
"Wait, Spike, that's it!"_  
  



End file.
